Article carriers



July 3, 1956 Filed June 1, 1955 E. l. RUNNER ARTICLE CARRIERS 2 Sheets-Sheet l 52 2 7 i 12 I g i 26 f IN VENTOR lax/e f. fizz/me]:

ATTORNEY July 3, 1956 Filed June 1, 1955 E. I. RUNNER ARTICLE CARRIERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY United States Patent ARTICLE CARRIERS Earle I. Runner, Wheeling, W. Va. Application June 1, 1955, Serial No. 512,478 4 Claims. (31. 1s0-1.s

A further object of the invention is to provide a carrier embodying an elongated housing havingan elongated bar rigid therewith, and an elongated flexible article supporting member carried by a second elongated bar supported by the housing for movement relative to the first bar, and wherein the housing is open at its lower side and includes opposite end article receiving and clamping means, and wherein said flexible article supporting member is movable through said open side of the housing toward and from said clamping means with a consequent variation of the article receiving space available from opposite ends of the housing.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the improved carrier in accordance with a preferred structural embodiment thereof, and wherein the view is substantially one-half actual size.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the carrier shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the carrier wherein the operative position of parts is indicated in dot-anddash lines.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view as observed in the plane of line 44 on Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view as observed in the plane of line 5-5 on Fig. 1 and wherein the carrier is shown in actual size.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the carrier will be seen to include a pair of relatively movable parts, viz, a rigid housing member and an article supporting member 11. i

The housing member 10 comprises a pair of opposite relatively heavy end plates 12 to the upper ends of which are secured the opposite ends of a bar 13 as by means of screw bolts 14.

The said end plates 12 are provided with longitudinally aligned recesses 15' opening through their lower ends and the plates are rigidly connected by a second bar 16 disposed at the closed ends of the recesses and whose opposite ends are connected to the plates by screw bolts 17. The said recesses 15 provide depending legs 18 on the end plates 12 and the plates are provided with vertically disposed channels 19 in their opposed inner faces and which channels extend from the upper ends of the plates to the second or lower bar 16. The plates 12 are further provided in their inner faces with transversely disposed notches 29 and same are further provided with ribs 21 along their outer faces which extend around the lower arcuate ends of the legs 18.

A casing 22 of generally inverted U-forrn is disposed between the end plates 12 and the opposite ends thereof engage within said notches 20 and about said ribs 21 The casing is maintained in position by the releasable rigid connection between the end plates 12 and the lower bar 16.

The lower opposite portions of the casing are rolled inwardly and vertically as at 23 and terminate in radial extensions 24. The rolled portions 23 provide laterally opposed cylindrical surfaces 25 for a purpose later referred to.

The article supporting member 11 comprises a bail 26 which includes a horizontal bar portion 27 disposed intermediate the casing 22 and the bar 13 and parallel therewith and which further includes opposite end legs 23 which are slidably disposed within the channels 19. The lower ends of the legs 28 are, rigidly secured to opposite endsof a bar 29 which normally rests on bar 16.

Suitably secured to the upper face of the bar 29 are the lapped edges 30 of a flexible loop member 31 which is preferably of leather but which may be of any other desired material, and said member 31 depends into or through the space between said surfaces 25.

The bail 26 is preferably provided with a bracket 32 adjacent each end, thereof and pivotally supported by each bracket is aloop 33 to which an end of a shoulder strap 34 may be connected.

From the above description, it will be apparent that the improved carrier operates similarly to opposing jaw members for clamping a plurality of elongated members, such as golf clubs into frictionally restrained position and that the clamping pressure is substantially equal to the weight of the housing member 10.

Normally the parts are in the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, and in solid lines in Figs. 3 and 5, wherein the flexible loop 31 depends a substantial. distance below the rolled edges 23 of the casing 22 and it is to be especially observed that the convex surfaces 25 of such rolled edges provide a rest for the side walls of the loop member 31.

In this normal position the bail 26 is in its lowermost position with bar 29 resting on bar 16 and the bail bar portion 27 is spaced vertically below the top housing bar 13. This normal position provides ready access to the supporting loop member 31 since a substantial space area is provided at each end thereof, as is apparent upon inspection of Fig. 5.

After insertion of several articles such as golf clubs C into the distended loop member, the bail 26 is elevated with a resulting upward movement of bar 29 to which the lapped ends of the looped member are secured, and the bottom of such loop member is elevated as is illustratively shown in Fig. 5 whereby the clubs are wedged into the recesses 15 whose opposite edges upwardly converge and are firmly held in position.

The bar 27 may be grasped by a hand for raising the loop member 31 or if it be desired to carry the device from a shoulder, a strap 34 connected to the loops 33 may be used.

in any event the member 11 is supported while the housing member 10 is free to place its entire weight on the clubs which are supported by the member 11.

The distension of the loop member 31 is limited by engagement of bars 16 and 29 and bar portion 27 of the bail 26 will not necessarily contact the top housing bar 13 when articles being transported are in clamped position, as is apparent from the dot-and-dash position of bar portion 27 in Fig. 5.

While the supporting loop member 31 is necessarily flexible, it may be resilient whereby the carrier will be capable of clamping articles through a maximum range from a small to a large number of the articles. The entire carrier, except for the flexible loop member, is constructed of metal which may be aluminum or other desired material.

While the device is disclosed as for carrying golf clubs only .or similar elongated articles, a suitable pouch may be attached to the carrier for transportation of balls, tees, etc.

WhileI have disclosed my invention in accordance with a single specific structural embodiment thereof, such is ,to be considered as illustrative only, and not restrictivc, the scope of the invention being defined in the subjoined claims.

, What I claim and desire .to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. A carrier for elongated articles, comprising a housing member including opposed vertical end plates whose upper ends are rigidly connected by an elongated horizontal bar, a second bar disposed below and parallel with said first bar and having its opposite ends connected to said plates intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof, a vertical channel in the inner wall of each plate intermediate said first and second bars, an article supporting member including means having a vertical slidable engagement in said channels and said end plates having downwardly opening article receiving recesses whose opposite edges converge upwardly, whereby the articles are clamped in frictional engagement with each other upon contractive movement of said housing and article supporting members.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said article supporting member comprises a bail including a horizontal bar portion disposed intermediate said first' and second bars, and legs depending from said bar portion slidably disposed in said channel-s, the lower ends of said legs being interconnected by a horizontal bar normally engaged with the upper face of said second bar, and said article supporting member further including an elongated article receiving loop member comprising a relatively wide sheet of flexible material having its opposite edges secured to the upper face of said last bar.

3. The structure according to claim 2, wherein said housing member further includes an elongated casing of generally inverted U-sform in cross section, and said casing having opposed convex surfaces engageable with said loop member.

4. The structure according toclaim 2, wherein said bar portion is provided with a bracket adjacent each end thereof, and a shoulder strap end engageable loop pivotally connected to each bracket and encompassing said first bar, whereby upon vertical upward movement of said bar portion said article receiving loop member will be moved upwardly with a resulting wedging action on said articles by the converging edges of said recesses.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,015,667 Caryl Jan. 23, 1912 2,485,864 Cohen et a1. Oct. 25, 1949 2,486,827 Ducan Nov. 1, 1949 

